Joe Arpaio Knows All, and David Hendershott's His Lackey, Say Former Staffers and Critics

Many of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's ex-aides and critics agree on one thing: Despite Deputy Chief Frank Munnell's recent memo portraying Arpaio as a hapless figurehead (a memo you can read, here) it's the sheriff who rules the MCSO.

As I discussed in a blog item earlier today, this narrative depicting Chief Deputy David Hendershott as a maniacal villain who has betrayed his clueless superior doesn't wash, even though much of the local media is still KrazyGlued to the idea.

Joe's own words and deeds, the testimony of his former subordinates, indeed the record of his 17-year reign as Maricopa County's top cop, all suggest that if Hendershott is guilty of the corruption described in Munnell's memo, then, if anything, Arpaio is guiltier.

"Joe knows everything that goes on," Tom Bearup, Arpaio's right-hand man before Hendershott's ascension told me. "Because I've been there. And I know that nothing goes on in that office without [Joe's approval]. Every policy he initialed. Anything major that happened, people would go and tell him, because they felt intimidated."

Bearup, who was Arpaio's Chief Executive Officer from 1993 to 1997, once ran against Arpaio for sheriff and is now a pastor in Alaska. He's borne witness against Arpaio on several occasions and doesn't swallow the line that Arpaio was out of the loop.

"In the staff meetings, it was Joe that would belittle people," Bearup explained. "Hendershott's just a little Joe, that's all."

Indeed, Bearup says, Joe ordered him to lie during the investigation into the brutal, jailhouse death of Scott Norberg, which occurred in 1996. Norberg's demise at the hands of MCSO corrections officers led to a lawsuit against the Sheriff's Office and the county that resulted in a $8.25 million settlement.

Bearup recalled Joe's dictate on the Norberg killing. One given before the lawsuit, but still in anticipation of one.

"Joe said, `You get on that stand, and you tell them you don't recall, you don't remember," stated Bearup.

The parallel between that account, which Bearup has repeated under oath, and Munnell's description of Hendershott's allegedly instructing him to mislead Arizona Attorney General's investigators looking into the Sheriff's Command Association scandal, is eerie. Like deja vu to the 10th degree.

The sheriff was clearly no bystander in the affairs of the MCSO. He was deeply involved. In fact. Bearup's downfall began when he started looking into claims that Hendershott was misappropriating funds from the sales of the infamous pink underwear.

Arpaio demanded the names of the deputies making the allegations, and when Bearup wouldn't fork them over, Arpaio threatened that he'd have Bearup "walking a beat in Gila Bend" if he didn't comply. Bearup left the MCSO, only to be harassed, followed, and intimidated by the MCSO.

In a December 2009 cover story, Village Voice Media Executive Editor Michael Lacey gave readers a glimpse into just how intimately Arpaio has been involved in Bearup's torment, by posting a link to a recording made by Deputy Chief Brian Sands as he was serving an order from county elections officials on Bearup and others.

Bearup was prohibited from running for public office for five years and fined $1,000. In the recording, Arpaio calls Sands to ask about Bearup's reaction to being served. In the tape, Sands laughs as he recounts Bearup's dismay, all for the pleasure of the sheriff.

And like something right out of Martin Scorsese's gangster classic Casino, Bearup claims he once saw Arpaio pocket pink underwear money at a function where Bearup was making sales and keeping track of who bought what. This while Bearup was still in the sheriff's employ, of course.

"[Arpaio] took all the money from me," remembered Bearup, "all the names from me, and screamed at me in front of the hotel in front of my wife, `Don't you ever write down those names again!'"

Bearup also tells a tale of Hendershott, flush with cash, showing up at a party, bragging about all the pink boxers he'd sold that day.

Amazingly, neither the FBI nor the U.S. Attorney has ever approached Bearup to ask him about his days with Arpaio. Bearup says he's called these agencies many times to no avail.

The lieutenant was also retaliated against, left the MCSO, and ended up starting the "Overthrow Arpaio" Web site at Arpaio.com.

The ex-deputy told me he doesn't believe the contention that Arpaio was in the dark. He suggested that the memo was a ploy by the MCSO command staff to save themselves and toss Hendershott and his faction to the feds.

"You know as well as I do," he said, "if someone came into that office, that whole goddamn command staff would be thrown out on their asses.

"They know [MCSO Director Larry] Black and [Captain] Joel Fox are going to go down because of this whole SCA scandal...They know Hendershott's going to be history. So it's, `How are we going to save Arpaio and our jobs?'

Also, Reyer questions the raison d'etre behind the memo itself.

"Munnell's talking to Arpaio in that memo like Arpaio doesn't have a clue that any of this stuff was going on," Reyer observed. "I don't buy it...Arpaio knew exactly what was going on."

Reyer's analysis reminded me of William Finnegan's 2009 profile of Arpaio in the New Yorker magazine. In it, Arpaio suggests that Mesa be raided "again" in retaliation for an anti-Arpaio comment that the Mesa mayor's wife supposedly said while on jury duty.

Arpaio's depicted in the article micromanaging even a petty press release regarding the swine flu epidemic, overriding the objections of a public-health professional.

That was not a rare remark. Joe makes statements like this all the time. But in sworn testimony, he changes his tune a bit.

Phoenix attorney Joel Robbins, who has deposed Arpaio on more than one occasion for legal claims made against the MCSO, said Arpaio has pulled a Sergeant Schultz-move under oath, claiming ignorance of day-to-day activities in his office. Robbins believes this was part of a strategy to insulate Arpaio, and possibly save him from prosecution.

"You know at some point the deal was that Hendershott would take the bullet once the troops were at the bunker," cracked Robbins. "Maybe [the MCSO] is playing the end game."

He was also skeptical of the Munnell memo.

"What in the world is Munnell talking about?" wondered Robbins. "Talking to the feds...and then sending Arpaio a memorandum as if to alert him for the first time that his regime is corrupt? It seems as if it's a self serving memorandum by Munnell to get him and Arpaio out of this thing."

In fact, Munnell may not be as righteous as he presents himself. Keep in mind what being a 30-year vet of the MCSO entails, particularly when someone's risen to be part of the ruling junta on the 19th Floor of the Wells Fargo tower.

Take for example, a 1999 letter from MCSO Sergeant David Cool to County Attorney Rick Romley, requesting whistle-blower status and protection from Romley's office. The letter relates that Munnell at that time took his orders "exclusively" from Hendershott, and it suggests Munnell may have been aware of hanky-panky with the pink underwear.

"At one point," Cool writes, "[Munnell] said that Director Hendershott ordered many hundreds of pair without the consent of the [Posse] Foundation."

Cool relates having to pen a nasty little memo concerning Bearup on the orders of Hendershott, thereby initiating an internal investigation. The man Cool was told to give the memo to just happened to be Munnell.

You can read the Cool letter yourself, here. It's worth the time, particularly for this choice quote from Sheriff Joe overheard (supposedly) by Cool: "Rick Romley, I am going to fuck him!"

Not in the Biblical sense, I'm guessing.

Interestingly, as my colleague Ray Stern has just reported, County supervisors Mary Rose Wilcox and Don Stapley have added themselves to the list of those who don't believe that Arpaio was clueless about Hendershott's misconduct.

Tort titan Michael Manning is also in this camp. He's the guy who scored the Norberg win against the sheriff, and, like Robbins, has questioned Arpaio in depositions and on the stand.

"I know differently," said Manning of the theory that Arpaio's not in control. "I've taken his deposition at least twice and had him in trial at least twice. And while he tries to deny that he knows much about what's going on, he has admitted that he's fully briefed at senior staff meetings, that he meets frequently...with Hendershott. Hendershott follows his direction."

Manning pointed out that Arpaio's never shied away from responsibility at press briefings for acts that could be considered abuses of power. He was wary of the notion that Arpaio handed over MCSO command to Hendershott as of 2008, as Munnell claims.

"His ego has never and will never let him turn complete control of anything over to another person," Manning stated.

He asserted that if Arpaio had done so, he's derelict in his duty, perhaps criminally so. Thus, Arpaio's hanged either way.

It would be interesting to find out if there's some document signed by Arpaio turning over the MCSO to Hendershott as of 2008. But, of course, such a doc would be immediately suspect.

Unless the investigation goes to Arpaio, Babeu's effort will be meaningless, part of a whitewash. The only way this scandal ends with any finality or justice is with Arpaio getting indicted, hopefully by the federal grand jury still looking into the MCSO.

What if Babeu were to ultimately suggest something so radical (for Babeu) as indicting Joe, backstabbing Joe in the process -- perhaps in a power play meant to elevate Babeu's standing as an anti-immigrant darling? Well, then we'd have another problem to worry about. That is, the further political rise of Paul Babeu.

And as unlikely as that may seem, you must admit, it's a chilling thing to consider. Perhaps as chilling as our current state of affairs.

Excerpt:As I noted in this post, Conservative political writer Debbie Schlussel warned 2 years ago "Don't vote for Kelly Ayotte."

"Ayotte also instructed New Hampshire police chiefs not to use the trespassing laws to take undocumented workers off the street. Remember Ayotte’s wimpishness in any of her future runs for office.

Ayotte is now presenting herself as a conservative and tea party style candidate. That’s baloney. She’s a career politician who did the wrong things while in office. Don’t give her a chance to repeat those wrong things in the U.S. Senate."

But like the paid GOP toady she is, she flip-flopped and now basically supports similar activities and a reign of terror imposed by Arpaio, who has paid $40,000 to American Citizen Nick Babcock for four (4) wrongful arrests occasioned because he works for Arpaio opponent Dan Saban, also suspiciously arrested on a prior election eve. Given Ayotte's history with me as NAACP Legal Chair (she and her buddy, fired Jaffrey Police Chief Martin Dunn lost trying to jail me for writing a Civil Rights Demand Letter), Kelly Ayotte probably supports these unlawful arrests as well, anything to get in office and abuse power.

Cagedvoter! Freedslave! Roger Morris! TheBaron! MrRhetoric! was right! $52,400,000 Million to be exact, plus the $276,000 Hendershots for Two in Honduras Gentlemens Bar tab! Ooops lets not forget that GOP Secure the Border Economic Holocaust Border Security Account money! It was always about creating a HIGH IIMPACT for GRANT DOLLARS! 100,000,000 Million Dollars! 20% you do the number down at Section 1070 Arpaio's Two for One Immigrant Hitlerien Tent City! Firing of the 9 U.S. Attorneys attributed to his netting $52,400,000 Million Dollars and a corrupt County Attorney alongside a corrupt GOP Legislative TEA PARTY. But at the end of the day! It's all in those MVD computers! It's all in those VETERAN REDFLAGS through MVD/DES computers! It's in all those REDGFLAGS of minority black, hispanic women whom's SSN issuance dates were challenged and caged, suppressed through those Hendershot MVD computers somewhere hidden in that foreclosed, bankrupt, Oh I need to see the doctor because mama can't spend taxpayers money at the Walmart down the street two for one immigrant hotel, motel, holiday Arpaio INN. It's just a matter of time! It's just a matter of time before the wiretaps of judges, county officials, and all those GPS tracking of official county cars outside of Superior Court Judges homes and offices! Archives haven't lied and they won't continue to lie! 50,000,000 I was right on the money, plus all that rewrapped day old sandwhichs for Prisons for Profit sales across county lines! Mo Money! Mo Money! Mo Arpaio bucks to be found! Plus Grandmother voters registration cards!

As a previous Chief Executive of the MCSO I would like to remind everyone that when I left the Office in 1997 I told anyone that would listen that Hendershott was a serious problem. I personally told the Sheriff about the missing pink short money twice but he threatened me with walking a beat in Gila Bend, that he would take my gun and badge from me. He also told me to stay away from Hendershott and the Enforcement Support office. That I was not to talk with anyone about the missing pink short money that Hendershott was totally in control of. When I ran against Arpaio my phones were tapped at our church and my family and I were followed and watched by deputies. Dave Hendershott ordered one of his staff members to falsify a document stating that my son and I was going to blow up the Sheriff which was a total lie. One of my sons were arrested by the city of Glendale and within an hour there were deputies there asking witnesses what kind of dirt they had on me and on my son. Why were they there? The second time that I ran my son was arrested again and now sits on Arizona's Death Row for a crime that he never committed while the people that did commit the crime will walk free in a few years with plea agreement that gave them a break by saying that my son was at the scene but did nothing. A respected Superior Court Judge, Warren Grandville wrote in his minute entries that "justice was not done in Patrick Bearup's case." Is this possible in America? With Joe Arpaio and Dave Hendershott in the power position that they are and the corruption within the Sheriff's Office the answer is a simple YES! I support a complete, independent investigation of the entire Sheriff's Office. I called for a complete audit of all financial issues years ago. Had people believed me then, we would not be in the position that we are in today. Dave Hendershott would be in jail as well as Joe for covering up and protecting Hendershott. Just for those that would like to think that Joe is not in charge I want to clear the issue up for you, Joe has always been in charge and has told everyone that he is the Sheriff and that he is in charge. The truth is that he claims to be in charge when things are going in his favor but says that he knows nothing when the heat is on. The truth is that Joe knows about anything of importance that is going on within the Sheriff's Office!

Tommy, Thanks for holding ground with Johnny, you are so very right about Paul being more corrupt. People are just fooled by him because he hides it so well and puts on the charm in front of the camera. If you look at my brother Paul's Sheriff's website, it is all video's of himself that would take months to review. Once all of Paul's deep, dark secrets come out, he will be in jail sooner than Sheriff Joe. Paul Babeu did not move to AZ for the nice sun. He ran there to get away from a real criminal backround that I working on exposing soon. Keep blogging Tommy, you are doing a great job and are right about the dirty Paul Babeu. It is nice to meet you. Lucy Babeu

I've often wondered if we didn't have such a d-bag as sheriff, would we be getting more help for the border issues? Some people outside this state think he's sheriff of all of AZ. He sure ain't making it any easier.

I may have to eat a little crow here. I called the idea of throwing Hendershott to the wolves "ludicrous" since he "knows where all the bodies are buried" and could tell all in bargaining with the feds.

The problem with my assessment, as I now see it, is that in doing so Hendershott would open up a great big can of worms for himself, provided the initial charges against him weren't that serious. After all, he isn't the only one who knows things, and some of those he might inform on (with immunity) may know things about Hendershott which the latter doesn't want the feds to know, since it would result in more serious charges against him, since he won't be able to arrange for blanket immunity. That's the thing about a shit-fight: once somebody starts tossing dung, everybody ends up smeared.

So, it's just possible that relatively minor (albeit career ending) charges might be lobbed at Hendershott from within the organization, betting that he won't be willing to start a shit-fight over them. Maybe not a good bet, given Hendershott's temper and tendencies, but then again I don't know him and others do.

I know that many out there will come to the defense of Joe but I want everyone to know that he knows exactly what is going on with the MCSO and any of the victims that he has gone after. I have been attempting to tell anyone that would listen that there were major problems within MCSO. Many of those that have been targets of Arpaio and Hendershott now believe what happened to me and my family for standing up against the crimes committed by high ranking members of the MCSO to include setting up Coz with a false positive reading for drugs. Thank God for the detention officer that believed that it was a set up. I have a son on "Death Row" because of what members of the MCSO did to me and my family. He did not commit the crimes but was sentenced to death. The judge was so concerned that he even wrote in his minute entries, "that justice was not done in Patrick Bearup's case." The Sheriff and County Attorney then went after the judge to get him disbarred. What an amazing justice but the truth will be known at some point in time. We are praying that Patrick will still be alive at that time.

FB - pick up that pulitzer and Investigate the federal law enforcement agency personnel Arpaio served with over the years in his nickel back joe dyas and then correlate that list to which which ones have climbed the ladder into positions of authority in the federal government and judiciary which could "save" Arpaio - that's his one way out of the mess with the Federal Grand Jury, one of his contacts in the "old boy network" would be willing to play their own get-out-jail-free card on behalf of Arpaio.

Sadly, Arpaio will now gain the sympathy of the blue-hair herd that he has been victimized by an overweight poorly performing subordinate. Poor Shuruff Joe. He was lied to repeatedly by his staff. Lisa Allen submitted press releases in support of the now alleged behavior of Hendercheat, Black and Foxx. Munnell was just working through his thirty year career and was hampered to rise above Deputy Chief. Poor Munnell, when does his sick leave start being burned off for the emotional trama he has suffered just before he takes his retirement and drop money and deferred comp and paid out vacation time unused.

Hopefully he gets some new bracelets before too long, he's one of America's biggest scumbags. When law enforcement decides it is gonna decide what parts of the constitution it regards they need to have their badge taken away. Joe needs some time behind bars so he can think about what a chump he is.

The Sgt Shultz defense is how the mafia operates as well. The person running the organization hands the dirty assignments to his trusted inner circle, nothing in writing, and they know that they are the fall guys if anything goes wrong. The guy at the top just claims to be a tailor or something and knows nothing about any criminal racket.

"I'll bet on it that he'll bargain with the Feds. Besides, isn't that how evil works? Every man for himself? I don't think Hendershott has that kind of loyalty to Arpaio. Especially if he's looking at a lengthy sentence."

Well, they can band together, too. In fact, that's why I don't think anybody plans to throw Hendershott to the wolves to take the edge off their appetite. He's the one who "knows where all the bodies are buried".

I don't think anybody has gained much in position at MCSO without AARPaio's and/or Hendershott's blessing. I would guess that the majority of the command staff is corrupt and has played Hendershott's games. There is a certain artistry to Munnell's memo which forces AARPaio to investigate rather than discard it. The memo is also self-serving as mentioned.

However, to blow things open, somebody had to break ranks and step outside the AARPaio/Hendershott sphere to shine a light inside the sphere. Now, instead of speculation, we have evidence. I would never think that anybody in the command staff at MCSO is clean because they would not be there unless they were on Hendershott's team. I am thankful for Munnell's stepping forward. Somebody had to be first. Others have tried and failed in years past because of the perception that AARPaio can do no wrong as well as retaliatory actions by MCSO. Munnell was the right guy at the right time to shed some credible light on this mess we call the MCSO. If the investigation is proper, Munnell may even find himself in hot water. I don't have a clue where the evidence will lead.

This is not about whether Munnell is squeaky clean. It is about whether MCSO gets cleaned up sooner than later. As there is more and more pressure on MCSO, Hendershott has been acting more and more desperate. Something was going to give sooner than later.

Are we really supposed to believe that the photographer just happened to be strolling through MCSO when Joe was reading the memo from Munnell and snapped a picture at an opportune moment? Hell no! This photo is so BLATANTLY staged with the intent to give the viewing public the impression that Arpaio is taking this all very seriously.

Well, perhaps he is (finally) starting to take this all very seriously, but not for the right reasons. He is not seriously concerned that this bullshit has been taking place in the MCSO for years. He is seriously concerned that he's going to find himself in handcuffs in a Phoenix Minute and too many people are talking to the Feds and he knows that his plan to claim ignorance isn't going to fool anyone.

The memo targets Hendy, Chief Deputy Larry Black and that corrupt, evil slime Captain Joel Fox and alleges YEARS of abuses. I wonder why it took Munnell so long to come forward?

Pinal County Shurf Paul "Mr. Clean" Babeu is a Flaccid Fool wanna-be. I think Stapley and Wilcox were right in their request to hand the "investigation" off to DPS.

When Hendy finds out that Fox gave him up in the SCA scandal, you can bet that the shit's gonna hit the fan and Fox will feel what others in county government have felt: Intimidation. I can almost bet that there will be unmarked Flaccid Fool cars with Sonora license plates parked at Fox's home.

My post from one of the azcentral boards where there is a ridiculous picture of Joke supposedly reading this memo and contemplating the content with a very posed and calculated look of "concern" - LOL! (After that post was made, the link to the 63 page memo was posted, so I have now read it twice.) :

Now that I'm done laughing at the ridiculous picture of Arpaio attached to this article...

Geeeez, how much more staged can it get? "Ok, Joe. Straighten your tie. Now, take your glasses off and stare really hard at the papers in front of you. There, that's better. Now, think hard about this. You need to look CONFUSED. BEWILDERED. This is all new news to you, right? You've never heard any of these allegations before. There, that's better. Furrow the brow a little more and frown. A little more perplexed. Good... good... Perfect! Hold that pose!"

I would love to be able to read the entire 63 pages. I'm not sure what I think of Munnell coming forth with this a month ago, based only on the few quotes mentioned in the article. It sounds like he has been cooperating with the DOJ from the beginning and blames a lot (most? all?) of the MCSO nonsense on Hendershott. I agree with those that have posted that Joe is equally to blame, regardless of whether he plans to plead ignorant. He is in charge of the MCSO and if he chose to hand off the running of the office to Hendershott, he is still no less responsible.

That being said, with all of the press and all of the message board comments over the past few years, there is no way the he was blissfully unaware of what was going on under his nose.

Emil Pulsifter is on the spot. I'll bet on it that he'll bargain with the Feds. Besides, isn't that how evil works? Every man for himself? I don't think Hendershott has that kind of loyalty to Arpaio. Especially if he's looking at a lengthy sentence. You can look back on all the federal indictments on those in the mafia organizations. I think Arpaio is doomed at last.

Tommy Collins,In regards to your comment in reply to my first one. I think you may be exxaggerating a little to much on Babeu. I'm not here to defend the man, but sorry, I just don't follow on that notion that he will do worst than what Arpaio has done. I don't think anyone can. That's quite one illogical comment I've read from you thus far. Arpaio is the current ineffable king of corruption since the actual Nixon Watergate.

Besides, as of now, there is no rampant corruption under "Sheriff Paul" comprisable to that of Arpaio. I don't think he has done anything of that stature. The only flaws that I'm aware of--is his defense and lying about Puroll's account. As well as he recent stint on the nationally known White Supremacist radio show. Maybe his "flirting with extreminism" is also concerning. But I don't believe in the hype that he'll be worst than Arpaio. That's just nonsense.

Munnell's "Memo" is so blatantly self-serving that it offends the very basic notion of conscious intelligence. Let's look at this document critically. All it "exposes" is basically exactly what is known to have been told by witnesses already deposed by the FBI and the DOJ boys, and what can reasonably be further concluded therefrom. As a result, this "memo" now surfaces as an attempt to isolate and protect Arpaio by making him look like he was kept in the dark by Hendershott. Come on . . . We all know Arpaio better than this. And if Arpaio's excuse is going to be "I didn't know . . . because I was too busy writing books (I never read) and making political appearances all over the nation outside Arizona . . ."' then Arpaio is guilty by association and by abandonment of his duties for which the morons of this county voted him in to peform. Makes for an interesting defense, "I'm not guilty, cuz I was too busy not doing my duly elected job . . . but cashing my paychecks anyways".

This is hilarious - and Sheriff Paul Babeu is a tool. He can't see Apraio is using him? Here's a news flash Babeu - do a shoddy job "investigating" and you then become a co-conspirator in the crimes and malfeasance and corruption within the MCSO for derilection of duty as a sworn public servant. Sheriff Babeu, are you really this stupid?

Hendershott, Lisa Allen & Frank Munnell are out on medical leave, Black & Fox are out on Admin leave, Arpaio is in New Hamshire pimping for God knows what, so who is running the MCSO corruption circus now ?

If the head of an agency accused of improper and/or illegal acts by one of its top members, is also the one that decides who will investigate the accusations, there is obviously a problem with the laws or regulations governing such matters. The county and/or the state legislature needs to specify a procedure for insuring the selection of an objective, independent third-party investigator in such cases. Needless to say, that selection should not rest with or even involve the accused agency, or its administrators. Arizona looks more like a banana republic than one of the United States.

The theory that the memo is "a ploy by the MCSO command staff to save themselves and toss Hendershott and his faction to the feds" is just ludicrous. What's Hendershott supposed to be doing while he's slowly being fed into the maw of federal law-enforcement? Do you think Hendershott can be "sold out" without his knowing it? He'll assume it even if it ISN'T true. Is he going to sit on everything he knows? Or is he going to bargain with the feds by cooperating in helping them reel in other big fish, including the ancient, elusive One That Always Gets Away?

Whatever Arpaio's other defects, nobody should fault him for naivety about human nature, least of all where a short-con hustler like Babeu is concerned. He understands the type. It’s hard to imagine that, even in his current predicament, he’d make the mistake of putting a gun in Babeu’s hand without strong evidence it isn’t loaded.

Anybody wanna lay odds we stay so fixated on the palpably fading 78-year-old sociopath in our rearview mirror that we neglect to come to grips with the looming 41-year-old one — who’s if anything a more flamboyantly disordered character — until he’s already done having his way with us, had a quick shower, & moved on?

The only things Arpaio is ignorant of is the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights; the rights all humans are afforded by those documents. He is ignorant of what it takes to be an effective administrator, a good cop, and a decent human being. He is lacking in any knowledge of how to do things other than the Sheriff Jose way.

If anything, I believe this is a defacto test of integrity for the Sheriff.

Unfortunately the Sheriff has already failed miserably by sending the matter to a politicalally for "Investigation".

The BOS is right, this should be sent to an impartial agency for real investigation.

The Sheriff's approach in this case seals his position in the matter, by providing selfsustaining evidence of his incompetence, guilt and obvious attempt at furtherobfuscation of the matter through allied intervention.

Mr. Lemons, you are very likely aware of the Garrity warning used in law enforcement. It basically says that the agency has the right, as the employer, to compel the employee to answer any and all questions during an internal investigation. HOWEVER, any inculpatory evidence learned during the INTERNAL investigation cannot be used to substantiate criminal charges.

It strikes me that perhaps Munnell chose the request for internal investigation route intentionally, for that very reason. Since it's an internal investigation being, or about to be, conducted; any criminal complicity learned or discovered during the investigation could be used to provide probable cause for criminal charges.

That said, however, if that same complicity or evidence is learned during a separate and distinct criminal or civil violations investigation, it may be used to establish probable cause, or as proximate cause with regard to civil violations.

Since the memo has become public, however, I will assume that Munnell would be interviewed many times over in many investigations separate from the internal investigation.

Also interesting, if the internal investigation results in any sustained charges of policy and procedure as set by MCSO, any and all discipline may be at the 'discretion' of the sheriff.

It may come to be that Hendy, Black and Fox, among others, will be sustained for policy violations stemming from this internal investigation, yet receive no discipline.

"What in the world is Munnell talking about?" wondered Robbins. "Talking to the feds...and then sending Arpaio a memorandum as if to alert him for the first time that his regime is corrupt? It seems as if it's a self serving memorandum by Munnell to get him and Arpaio out of this thing."

I don't think Robbins appreciates the Alice in Wonderland quality of career politics at the MCSO. Munnell knows what Arpaio is all about; but you don't write a memorandum of complaint to the Red Queen that her right-hand-man is chopping heads off.

Munnell wrote the memo to Arpaio, not the media. He was trying to get Arpaio to understand how much he knew and how much he's seen, and very politely suggest that Arpaio intervene and take some of the pressure off of him (Munnell) or else the shit was going to hit the fan. In a document that might become public record, but that in any case was going to the big man directly, he HAD to pretend that Arpaio was ignorant. He HAD to give Arpaio an out, so that when he yanked Hendershott's leash a little, he wouldn't be implicating himself (Arpaio).

XS, you make some very good points. I heard months ago that Fox was on some kind of 'special assignment', away from MCSO. Never confirmed it, however. I called MCSO several times and asked for Fox. I was told each time that he wasn't available and they weren't taking messages for him. Interesting.

"I think Stapley and Wilcox were right in their request to hand the "investigation" off to DPS."

This statement causes me to wonder why the ENTIRE Board of Supervisors didn't ask for the investigation to be reassigned.

Kunasek, of all people, should be interested in this investigation not being assigned to Babeu. Max Wilson. What can be said about Max other than he appears to be an empty suit. Then there is Fulton Brock. Mr. NoNuts, himself. The county equivalent of Harry. I digress, sorry.

I guess those three can always say, "We felt Shurf Babeu (aka Little Joe Paul) had the integrity and ethics to see that a fair, honest, and objective investigation was conducted. We had no idea that he was in bed with the MCSO shurf and his gang of miscreants". Or something to that effect, should the result of the investigation be as I am expecting....

Honestly, I have tried being fair and object with Babeu, but he is showing more the of Flaccid Fool wrinkles on a daily basis as his experience as an Arizona sheriff grows.

By the way, did any of you know that there are actually FIFTEEN county sheriffs in Arizona? Why are just TWO of them consistently in the media, almost daily? No need to answer. Simply rhetorical.

Thirteen of the county sheriffs in Arizona pay attention to the needs and services of their counties, instead of positioning themselves for higher offices...

"Now, think hard about this. You need to look CONFUSED. BEWILDERED. This is all new news to you, right? You've never heard any of these allegations before. There, that's better. Furrow the brow a little more and frown. A little more perplexed. Good... good... Perfect! Hold that pose!""

Nah, it was easy, they just asked Joe to add 13 and 8. Confusion and befuddlement, accomplished.

Johnny, your comments are noted and I appreciate your thoughts and response. I just don't want to give Babeu the opportunity to try to become more of a "Joe" than the Old Goat actually is. I think those folks who live in Pinal County should be cautious and very concerned. In my opinion, the timing of the Puroll 'shootout' was just coincidental. I hope that Babeu proves my hype to be nonsense in the long run.

Actually, the guy is just an elected official, not a cop. By law he doesn't need to be AZ P.O.S.T. certified, and he's never felt the need. He just wears a plastic gun tie tack with the same old tacky red tie in a beaten down suit and four stars on his collar in uniform.

Curiously, there are many, many posts by "LucyBabeu" also deriding brother Paul, describing him as many others have described him, who insists that she is his sister. Apparently there's something on Paul Babeu's website (somebody else copied and pasted it) from sister Lucy Babeu that praises him and wishes him well in the sheriff's post. Another commenter using the screen name PaulBabeu refutes the negative characterizations, but that person doesn't say he IS Paul Babeu. I gather that there really is a sister named Lucy Babeu. This has really made me curious. It would be nice if an astute journalist could try and track down the real Lucy Babeu and learn the truth.

Tommy,I'm not in the habit of reading all the comments, so sorry it took so long to respond...I'm not sure why you would be calling MCSO looking for me. You know how to find me, and I have always responded to you.

I have not been on any "assignment" special or otherwise...unless, of course, you are referring to the last couple weeks.

Yes, there's a real Lucy Babeu. I believe she still lives back in MA where they are all originally from. I have known most of them for many years. I am sure glad "Sheriff Paul" is in AZ and not anywhere near where I live. Power and publicity hungry and corrupt as they come. Couldn't win elections back east so brought the grift to AZ.I'm sure Lucy and the other girls have plenty of tales to tell. Good luck-sounds like the Babeus are taking over out there.